US Army Corps of Engineers · California
Lake Mendocino is located in the midst of wine country and near the gateway to the Redwoods. It is two hours north of the Bay area in central Mendocino County, near the city of Ukiah. The lake was created by a dam in 1958.
Reservations for Mendocino Lake are made through Recreation.gov. In peak season, the most popular campgrounds are typically claimed within minutes of each release — which is why the park reads as "sold out" for most of the year.
Sold out is not final, though. People book far ahead and plans change, so cancellations return to the official calendar throughout the season — with no announcement, at any hour. A cancelled site is bookable by whoever sees it first.
| Managed by | US Army Corps of Engineers |
|---|---|
| Book through | Recreation.gov |
| Location | Ukiah, CA |
| Campgrounds | 4 |
| Official listing | Recreation.gov |
Set a watch on the whole park, or go straight to the campground you want — each one has its own availability and cancellation pattern:
| Bushay Recreation Area | 167 sites |
|---|---|
| Kyen Campground And Oak Grove Day Use Area | 102 sites |
| Chekaka Recreation Area Lake Mendocino | 24 sites |
| Pomo Day Use Area | 3 sites |
We scan the official Recreation.gov calendar for Mendocino Lake around the clock. The second a site that matches your dates and equipment opens up, you get a text with a direct link to that exact site. You book it yourself, in your own account, at the normal price. We never book, hold, or resell anything — monitoring is all we do, and it's what your fee pays for. Openings are first-come, so a text beats an email every time.
Page data refreshed 2026-10-29. Availability facts come from the official directory listing for Mendocino Lake; cancellation statistics come from our own scanning logs.